Help your loved ones organize and protect all of those phones, tablets, laptops and more with today’s gift ideas! Thanks for your enthusiasm for Handmade Holidays this year. Don’t forget to comment to win one of the fabulous prizes below!

Melissa is the designer behind Blank Slate Patterns and she blogs at Melly Sews. She has two boys, ages three and five, and writes, “…I design first and foremost for them because boys deserve handmade love too!” If you’re not yet familiar with Blank Slate Patterns you will be soon. We spot Melissa’s patterns everywhere these days and we love that she gives equal attention to designing classic, modern and comfortable clothing for boys.

Make It

Armband Case for Touchscreen Devices
With the addition of vinyl and some elastic, Melissa shows you how to make an easy Armband Case for Touchscreen Devices at Melly Sews. It’s perfect for running, crafting and more.

Print It

Win It

Comment on today’s post for a chance to win one of these prizes!Tip: If you’re hoping to win a prize that notes “US Winners Only,” include your state in your name (i.e. Beth in WA) so we can confirm residence and avoid any disappointment on your end. Shipping range is determined by the generous companies and artisans that donate Handmade Holidays prizes.

Add seasonal style to your projects with help from Mollie Makes, a wonderfully creative and crafty magazine and website. This cute and covetable book provides over 20 knitting, crochet, sewing and mixed-media ideas for the holidays. All of these whimsical projects are sprinkled with inspiration and insight to help you properly deck the halls, stuff stockings and entertain stress-free during the chilly months. Craft unique handmade gifts and decorations with help from your favorite magazine contributors. With their insight, you’ll learn how to stitch up a felt wreath, create paper cut ornaments, crochet a tiny reindeer or two, customize your own holiday cards and even make a set of five adorable finger puppets that just happen to be the perfect size for stocking stuffers. With clear step-by step instructions, exquisite photographs, and in-a-pinch tips, you’ll have your Christmas crafting all wrapped up in no time.

In this follow-up to 1, 2, 3 Sew, expert seamstress and craft blogger Ellen Luckett Baker shares her fun building-block approach to quilting. Organized by quilting shapes— squares, triangles, hexagons, circles, flowers, stars and diamonds— this easy-to-follow guide provides a simple way to master the elements of quilt design. Twenty-four projects progress in difficulty, allowing readers to develop technical skills as they work through the book. From the minimal Argyle Apron to the stylish Hexagon Handbag and more intricate Star Quilt, these modern, bright designs will appeal to beginning and intermediate quilters alike.

More than just a pair of days, a weekend is also a state of mind— a feeling of relaxation and the freedom to immerse ourselves fully in a favorite activity. In Weekend Sewing, designer Heather Ross presents creative projects for clothing, accessories and home items that can be made in a weekend or less. Some, such as the Quick Garden Gloves and Ruby’s Bloomers, take a few hours; others, such as the Weekend-Away Travel Bag and Trapeze Sundress, require a day or two— but all of them capture that weekend feeling. And because weekends are often the most fun when they’re social, Ross features ideas that encourage us to share our stitching and our time, such as a recipe for soup to simmer while sewing, then serve to guests later in the day, and tips for transporting a sewing machine to a friend’s house for an afternoon of social stitching. The sewing instructions are beautifully illustrated, and patterns for the projects are included on pullout sheets.

Today’s DIY generation loves to outfit their kids in stylish homemade clothes, and kids love clothes that feel good. Designer Ruriko Yamada draws from her own experiences as a mom to create designs and sewing patterns that are fun to wear, easy to make and infused with covetable Japanese style. Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids features easy-to-follow diagrams, Japanese sewing patterns in English and simple instructions on how to make twenty super-comfy pieces for both boys and girls. Yamada provides four sizes of westernized patterns, each of which can easily be adjusted to fit children from three to nine years old. Simple lines give kids room to move, and the classic styles look good on any frame. Sewing for children has never been easier. With Happy Homemade, you’ll whip up a fantastic, money-saving wardrobe in practically no time at all!

I have seen so many of my people walking around without protection for their technology. They spend so much money but can’t be bothered to buy a case, so I will be making tablet and iPhone cases like crazy. I will also be making lens cozies with Melissa because I have a friend that rolls her professional lens in washcloths. She will be getting a set of pretty lens cozies this year!

I spent all days sewing Christmas gifts yesterday, it was glorious! You’ve just gotten started and already so many great ideas. I can’t wait to spend time checking out Blank Slate Patterns and the Sew Chic Kids book.

Love the exercise belt idea. Cute snowman pizza too. Many new things I need to sew and add to my “finished gifts” list. Thanks again for the wonderful sewing inspiration. I really like seeing all the new books in the prizes section so I can add favorites to my wish list.

My husband keeps meaning to get back to running. An armband would be a great idea so he can take his phone and keys with him. Also, I have that Weekend Sewing book, love it! I’d love to win the Happy Homemade book, not that I don’t already have a ton of kids’ patterns…

I see a few things here that I NEED to make. The armband phone holder and the running belt. I will also be making some iphone stands as gifts. Perfect for my co-workers. I can use my scraps = almost free!

Oh my goodness, I’ll get this right one of these times! I can’t delete my previous comment – sorry. I am already thinking about how to make the iPhone stand into a little wallet… to make it a multi-tasking accessory and maybe a versatile Christmas gift!

These are all great gifts. I especially love the exercise belt not only is it a great way to carry your things it also ads a little color to your outfit and you can have several in different colors to coordinate with other things you are wearing.

Nice possibilities here ~Gift giving and creating something for someone is the icing on the cake of life, But to make something for ones self can be the topper on that cake, New to sewing here and I am having the best time learning and creating. We have a new store close to my home Sew Dayton , I always longed to come to class at Sew Mama and now I have a place close to home.

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Meet Kristin + Beth

We always travel with handmade bags. We have vintage embroidery framed on our walls, piles of fabric next to the sewing machine and more WIPs than we'll ever finish. We love the history, craft and artistry of sewing. Read More

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